


a checkmark on my lessons learned

by SurviveEternity



Category: Professional Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: F/F, M/M, Minor Character Death, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-12
Updated: 2016-03-24
Packaged: 2018-05-06 09:55:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 5,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5412452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SurviveEternity/pseuds/SurviveEternity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>a wwe drabble collection</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. tyler/dolph - don't need nobody (but me)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Don’t fucking touch me.” dolph/tyler

“Don’t  _fucking_  touch me.” Dolph snapped, yanking his arm away from Tyler’s hand. There was dark anger in his eyes, sheer rage hiding the heartbroken betrayal. “I  _trusted_  you, Tyler! Hell, I fucking  _loved_  you!” He kept running his hands through his hair. How could this happen - how could Tyler  _do this_  to him? “Everything we’ve been through, everything! What did it mean to you? Huh, what did it mean? Nothing?”

Tyler pulled into himself - a life as a model meant a life of acting, of hiding behind a perfectly smooth mask. He raised an eyebrow, twisting the corner of his lips into a smirk. “Well, if I had known you’d react like such an  _uggo.”_  The words came smooth and taunting - he should’ve known that Dolph would respond like that, that Dolph would be like every other uggo who couldn’t understand how Tyler interacted with people. He wasn’t  _interested_  in that uggo Uso - he was just  _like that._  Not his fault Dolph couldn’t understand the difference between Tyler flirting and Tyler actively trying to make a man’s life hell.

“I mean, you  _did_  break up with that uggo Ryder over that uggo manager’s lies.” ‘ _Shit.’_  Tyler hadn’t meant to bring that up - he’d meant to take that to his grave. That uggo Guerrero had laughed when she told him. ‘ _She knew_ ,’ he realized, his anger hidden behind his perfectly gorgeous mask. She  _knew_  that as perfect as he is, Tyler’d slip somehow, somewhere, and he’d go up in flames. And he’d take his relationship with Dolph with him.

Dolph stared at him, realization dawning in his eyes. “What did you just say?” His voice starting to raise. “What did you just say, Tyler?”

Tyler could feel his mask slipping, but he forced it back. Something flickered in Dolph’s eyes - acknowledgment of Tyler’s mask, the realization that it was there, maybe. Tyler squared his shoulders, brought his chin up and grabbed onto his best imitation of his mother. “You heard me,” he said, keep his voice as arrogant as possible. “That uggo manager of yours? She broke up you and your uggo ex-boyfriend. And you just fell for her lies.” He laughed, short and cruel. “Obviously an uggo like you couldn’t recognize how idiotic you were being.”

There was a second where Tyler’s eyes met Dolph’s. Then Dolph growled, kicked the wall and stormed off. The backdoor to the club slammed shut, loud enough to be heard over the music and strong enough to shake the walls.

Tyler wanted to curl up on the floor, wanted to call Summer Rae and ask her to pick him up. Wanted to get the fuck out of the club, so he didn’t have to act, to pretend that he was fine. He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. He was gorgeous. He didn’t need to be fine, he didn’t need Dolph Ziggler, all he needed was to be himself. (though was it really him, when he was hiding behind a mask?)


	2. seth/roman - when i lose myself (you help me stand tall)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.” - Roman/anyone  
> -  
> high school era rolleigns

As Seth was bent over and wheezing, he realized he’d been an idiot. He’d ignored the signs, figured they’d go away - his mother was going to  _kill him_  as soon as someone found him and called the school nurse. It was probably gonna be Randy because life had a tendency towards shitting on him. If Randy found him, Seth would never hear the end of it and their dad would talk about finding Uncle Jamie and Uncle Joey jobs at the school so they could keep an eye on him.

He tried to stand up so he could walk to the school nurse, but a coughing fit drove him back down. The sound of pounding footsteps was hard to hear over the combination of coughing and wheezing Seth was currently doing. “Hey,” a low comforting voice said. One large, callused palm rested on his shoulders, another cupped his cheek. 

“Ro-” The word died in Seth’s throat as another coughing fit overtook him. Without meaning to, he dragged them both to the floor. His boyfriend shouted something - Seth could make out the names shouted, “Jimmy” and “Jey” and “Randy” - oh, fuck. Seth tried to tell Roman that he didn’t want Randy, he didn’t want to get in trouble, he didn’t want his parents upset.

Roman shook his head, letting out a soothing, “Shhh” noise. Seth tried to complain, he’s asthmatic, not a  _baby_ , but then Roman muttered, “Oh, fuck.” There was a pause. “You can’t talk.”

 _‘Not for lacking of trying,’_  Seth thought sarcastically, then he realized what Roman meant. He couldn’t talk, he was wheezing, his coughing fits were incredibly bad, his neck and chest muscles were tight. The panic was coming soon, he knew it.

“Screw the nurse, man,” Roman muttered, pulling out his cellphone. Seth clawed at Roman’s shirt, entangling his fingers in the cloth. He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t  _breathe._  “Don’t worry,” Roman said, rubbing Seth’s back. “Don’t worry, I’m here. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”

Seth couldn’t make out what Roman was saying, beyond “severe asthma attack” and “ambulance”. Instead, he leaned into Roman’s chest and continued to struggle for air. Hopefully, Roman could get him out of trouble with his parents.


	3. dean/roman/seth - death doesn't discriminate (between the sinners and the saints)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Minor character death referenced

What woke Dean up wasn't a small, wet dog nose sticking itself in his face or that annoying alarm of Seth's going off. It wasn't Roman in the shower or Joelle bouncing on the bed. It was quiet, uneven noises - he squinted, staring out into the darkness. He'd almost call them sobs. Roman was curled up behind him, his forehead lying against Dean's neck and his arm wrapped around his waist. But Seth was nowhere in sight.

Quietly and carefully, Dean disentangled himself from Roman and slid out of the bed. The noises weren't coming from the bathroom or JoJo's bedroom - the jingling of tags caught Dean's attention and he looked down. That annoying scamp of Seth's almost looked scared - trying to lead Dean somewhere.

Now Dean was concerned. There were exactly two people Kevin cared about - Joelle and Seth. And if Joelle was fine - and she was, he could see her sleeping peacefully through the open door - that meant something was wrong with Seth.

Kevin led him down the stairs, towards the living room. Curled up in the corner, hiding behind the couch arm, was a sobbing Seth. His shoulders were rising and falling unevenly, as he tried to quiet his sobs. "Seth?" Dean asked quietly, kneeling down in front of his boyfriend.

Seth looked up and his eyes were red and puffy and his face was red and there were sticky tearstains on his face and Dean just wanted to figure out why Seth was crying in a corner at 12AM and beat the shit out of it. "Go away," Seth muttered, dropping his head back down.

"As if, sunshine," Dean murmured back, sliding slightly closer. Seth twitched at his touch and tried to pull away, but Dean just laid his forehead against Seth's shoulder. Seth stopped fighting, instead beginning to cry anew.

The sound of footsteps caught Dean's attention - Roman stood in the staircase, watching them with a concerned look on his face. Dean jerked his head, gesturing for Roman to come over, and he did.

Roman laid his hand on Seth's back and that was what broke him completely, it seemed. Seth didn't even try to hide his tears or quiet his sobs. Kevin shoved himself up into Seth's arms and Seth held him close, kissing his forehead. "Who's a good puppy," he whispered, scratching Kevin's ears.

"Seth, man," Roman said, quietly. "What happened?"

"It's..." Seth's voice broke. "Fucking Marek. Told him not to do that shit, told him to call me when he needed a ride home, told him I'd drive his car home, he didn't need to fucking worry." There was no heat to his voice, though, and Dean's mind was slowly piecing together what had happened.

"He's dead now," Seth muttered. "My best fucking friend's dead 'cause he was too fucking drunk to drive and he did it anyway because he couldn't fucking call me." Tears were running down his face and Dean brushed them away gently.

They stayed like that for hours, Seth curled up between Dean and Roman. Eventually, he fell asleep and they carried him back upstairs. They laid him on the bed and Dean hugged him from behind and Roman laid his forehead against Seth's and they fell asleep, all three curled up on the bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There're kittens next drabble. Cutesy kittens. Read on and hopefully forgive me for the sadness you just read.


	4. sheamus/wade - what greater gift (than the love of a cat)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "kittens"

"I cannot bloody believe you're bringing me here to look at kittens," Wade said, watching his boyfriend press his face up against the window and coo at the little kittens. Wade had never figured Sheamus for a cat person and yet here they were; looking at tiny little fluffballs. And it was undoubtedly going to end in them taking one of the little buggers home - he'd learned better than to try and fight Sheamus' puppy dog eyes years ago.

"But look at 'em," Sheamus walked over to the shelter door and went inside. With a long-suffering sigh, Wade followed him in. At least Wade was a marine biologist - he could afford to randomly buy his boyfriend a cat or two.

"This is gonna be your bloody birthday present, I hope you understand that," Wade crossed his arms.

Sheamus grinned at him. "You're the best boyfriend," he said, pressing a kiss to Wade's lips before returning to talking to the receptionist. Wade leaned against the column, staring around the room. There were large glass windows to where the animals were - he could see people playing with the small creatures. One kid seemed to be desperately trying to teach the one puppy how to sit. Trying being the operant word.

"The cats are this way," the receptionist said, leading them through a different door. They walked down a large hallway, with windows to rooms full of cats on both sides. "We have a number of kittens and, of course, a number of older cats who'd like homes, too." She turned back to them and Wade could already tell this wasn't going to end in just _one_ cat. If he was lucky, it'd only end in two.

"You said you're looking for playful cats, right?" She asked, walking along the walls to where placards were hanging. "We have a few Siamese mixes that you might be interested in." She picked up a card. "And there's this little girl. She loves to play with people - she can get mischevious if she's not given enough attention," the brunette woman warned.

Sheamus took the card and Wade read it over his shoulder. Felicia was somewhere around five months old, a tuxedo cat - whatever that meant - and "adorable", according to the card. She'd been dropped off in a box in the middle of the largest snowstorm of the year - she was very lucky she hadn't frozen to death, hence why she had a name meaning 'Luck'. "Why didn't you just name her Lucky?" He asked, stepping to the side to avoid Sheamus' elbow.

"Because there's already two dogs and another cat named Lucky here," the brunette woman replied, her eye twitching slightly. "Shall I bring her into one of the rooms?" She gestured to a set of doors, all leading to rooms where someone could meet a perspective pet.

"Of course," Sheamus grinned at her and Wade got a sinking feeling in his gut that they were going to be bringing her home. Behind his back, he crossed his fingers and hoped Felicia was the _only_ cat they were bringing home. But he could see Sheamus eying one of the older cats in a different window - Wade followed his boyfriend's gaze and saw the cat.

The large black cat looked like a fighter - missing parts of both ears, with defined scars running over its flank. When it saw them looking, it walked over to the window. He couldn't hear the meow because of the glass, but the cat hopped up onto its back legs and pressed its paws against the window. For a second, Wade watched it claw at the glass. "What about that one?" He asked, walking over and kneeling in front of the window.

He pressed his hand to the glass and the cat stopped clawing. Instead it tried to lick his hand. The receptionist came up behind him. "That's Butcher," she said. "She's been here awhile - most people see her and run. Don't like cats older than six months, especially don't like scarred cats." Wade's scar ached in time with her words and the words he spoke next came unbidden.

"Can we meet her, too?"

The receptionist seemed to think for a second. "It's a bit...Unorthodox, but I could see what I can do about getting Felicia and Butcher into one of the rooms. We tend to not do cat-to-cat meetings - they're not cat-to-dog, which no amount of money'd be enough - but they're still uncommon. Go into room four and I'll meet you there."

That was how Sheamus and Wade ended up sitting in a small, plain room with an excitable kitten and a large ex-fighter. Butcher was curled up on Wade's lap, purring as he scratched behind her ear, while Sheamus was playing with Felicia. "Gotta rename her," Wade said, pointing to the little kitten. "I'm not gonna own a cat named _Felicia."_

Sheamus laughed. "So we're taking them, then."

"Of course we're bloody taking them." Butcher was purring in his lap and Sheamus looked so happy with that bloody little kitten. Might as well make them both happy - though Wade could see the bills for whatever the cats needed already piling up in his head. It didn't matter, though, because he knew damn well he could get used to this.


	5. dean/seth - cut a piece of guitar (i'll wear it like a wedding ring)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by Carly Rae Jepsen's 'Guitar String/Wedding Ring'

It'd been the first day of classes at the new school when they met. Seth with his chunky black glasses and curly brown hair pulled back, wearing some band t-shirt and carrying his books in the backpack slung over his shoulder. Dean with that stupid leather jacket he got somewhere and his reddish blond hair all a mess, with no books in sight and barely a piece of paper to take notes on.

They'd argued. Seth called Dean an "idiot" and Dean called Seth a "douchebag" and then they'd ended up in detention due to the ensuing brawl. Seth was lucky he didn't need new glasses - his parents would've killed him ~~(after a long lecture on why you should take your glasses off first - _Hunter!)._~~ Dean's jacket had made it through perfectly fine - no one really knew how, since it really looked like Seth was trying to destroy the damn thing.

School had come and gone with many, many arguments, brawls and detentions. They never really got along - teachers learned to keep them far, far away from each other lest one of them actually succeed at murder. Dean did _something_ to Seth's beloved guitar and Seth got him back by doing _something_ to his beloved motorcycle (though he left a note, to warn Dean not to drive away, because he's not gonna be culpable for murder ~~(and Dean's face was too attractive to get smashed over the road.)~~

Then they came back after the summer and no one could really understand what had changed. ~~(A boy who'd only known family and love and money had run into a boy who'd only just found it and didn't trust it. And for the first time, they spoke to each other - not as Seth-the-pretentious-douchebag and Dean-the-annoying-idiot, but as Seth and Dean.)~~ But whatever it was, it made the teachers all breathe a sigh of relief - no one needed to fear actual murder being committed that year. ~~(Well, until the cafeteria incident and Seth's knee got broken and Blake and Murphy showed up the next day, covered in bruises, while Dean's knuckles were bandaged.)~~

No one really expected it to become what it became - or for it to last. But then Dean started wearing a small ring of metal on his finger and Seth had a matching one. There were some teasing jokes - some elbows to the ribs and sly smiles - but no one really thought those two would ever get married. Even though it was obvious that both rings came from Seth's guitar (it somehow needed to get the E string replaced the same week the rings appeared), everyone thought it'd fall apart by the time college rolled around.

And they were partially right - Seth went off to a highend college on the East Coast, while Dean stayed behind and picked up an apprenticeship. The relationship apparently ended - far quieter than anyone really expected it to, everyone expected a fight in front of Seth's house or in front of the airport or something, a relationship that began with a brawl was expected to end in a brawl. Dean's ring vanished from his finger at the same point a necklace appeared around his neck.

Seth would Skype his family back home, talking all about his classes and how he was doing, but no one brought up the ring of guitar string that remained on a chain around his neck. Randy brought it once - a joke about Seth being incapable of letting anything go - and then Seth hadn't spoken to him for the rest of the semester. They only started speaking again when Seth got back.

Dean got established at his new locksmithing job, eventually taking over from his mentor. Seth soared to new heights, unexpected by everyone but him. He became a successful investment banker, became rich and - through his many inconspicious relationships - famous. No one can date Dolph Ziggler and escape without a little fame, especially not a man as good looking as Seth McMahon-Helmsley. Dean remained close to earth, with a few relationships here and there.

Then one day, Seth came back. Everyone thought the only way Seth McMahon-Helmsley would return to their town was in infamy or when he was old and feeble and wanted to revisit his roots. But instead Seth came back quietly - well, as quietly as Seth does anything. He greeted his parents at the airport, went back to their house and dropped off his luggage.

Then he told them he had somewhere to be.

+

The door opened, ringing the bell as it went. Dean didn't even look up from what he was doing. "Be right with ya!" He called, continuing to work on the lock in front of him. It was a new one - highend and fancy-schmancy. It was probably what Seth's parents were gonna have on their house next time they called him around because "Hunter forgot the keys. _Again."_ so he needed to practice it. He was the best locksmith around, but this lock was still being annoying.

Then a familar laugh reached his ears and Dean dropped the lock to the counter. "It's been ten years, Dean," Seth said, flashing him a grin. "And that's all I get?" His grin was blinding, he'd grown out a beard and his hair was still in that fucking ponytail, but all Dean could see was the necklace. And the metal ring still on it.

Dean looked behind him at the calender on the wall. "That's all you get, sunshine," he said, grinning back. "I mean, 'less you're willing to wait around for a lowly locksmith to get off shift and take you to a coffee shop."

Seth raised an eyebrow. "I don't know, man," he chuckled. "The famous investment banker and the lowly locksmith. Sounds like a fucking fairytale."

"What about the pretentious douchebag and the annoying idiot?"

"Yeah, yeah, that sounds a lot better." Seth picked up his ring and looked at it. "Ready to give it another go? Like we promised?"

Dean reached across the counter and pulled Seth close to him, pressing their lips together. Seth's hand entangled in his hair and things were just starting to heat up when the door swung open. "C'mon," Seth groaned, pushing away from Dean.


	6. punk/nikki/aj - i always got by on my own (never really cared until i met you)

AJ was sitting on the couch, trash talking this annoying gamer boy through her headset when Nikki rushed into the living room. "AJ," she said, very slowly and carefully. "I need your help." AJ blinked - her hair was a mess, her makeup was haphazardly put on and she was wearing the same dress she wore two days before.

"Well, GamerGuy69, you're in luck, because  _ I _ have to get back to my girlfriend. Yeah, you know, one of those things you're never gonna have!" AJ turned off her headset and dropped it onto the couch. "Are you okay? You're wearing the same dress from Sunday, you never wear the same dress on a Sunday and a Tuesday."

"My mother is coming," Nikki said, taking a quick glance around the room.

"Your...Mom is coming?" AJ asked, leaning back as Nikki walked past, rearranging the pillows on the couch. She also picked up AJ’s headset and controller, carrying them back over to the television cabinet.

Closing the cabinet doors, Nikki began to explain. "Yeah, my mom is coming and I told her that I was too busy for her to come visit, but she says that since she's gonna be nearby visiting Brie and Daniel, she needs to come visit me, too, and we have three days to make this place look nice and clean or she's never gonna let me hear the end of it." As she talked, she walked back across the room and She ran a hand through her hair, staring at the now rearranged couch. "Okay, that looks good."

AJ looked at the couch, then at her anxiously pacing girlfriend. She immediately got up and wrapped both arms around Nikki, placing her chin on Nikki's shoulder - something she normally couldn't do, because Nikki loved her heels and Nikki always wore heels like she never wore the same dress on a Sunday and a Tuesday. This brought Nikki to a standstill and AJ nodded. "Breathe," she said, instructing Nikki the same way Punk instructed her when she was too nervous or upset. "In, out, like that, yeah, you got it, babe."

Once Nikki seemed a little calmer, AJ pressed a kiss to her cheek and let go. "So, your mom...Knows about us?" It was a careful question. AJ and Punk were new-ish to this whole polyamory thing - they'd always knew they were open to it, but they'd never really done it before. Nikki, however, was practiced. Her list of past boyfriends and girlfriends was almost as long as AJ's arm. 

"Yeah, of course," Nikki waved it away, walking back over to the couch. "She'd rather I settle down with two people than never settle down ever. Like, I get her concern, but just because I'm thirty-two and not married doesn't mean I'm, like,  _ unhappy _ or anything." She pushed the couch back, closer to the wall.

AJ nodded, her hand straying to her own wedding band. Brie'd once brought up that her sister's biggest dream ever was getting married - a dream that, since AJ and Punk were already married, couldn't happen with them. And when AJ'd brought it up to her - quietly, one night while Punk was at the gym, helping one of his fighters prepare for a match - Nikki'd just waved it away, saying it was fine. She was happy with them and that was all that mattered.

With that on her mind, AJ followed Nikki out of the living room, through the dining room and into the kitchen. "Alright," Nikki said, looking at the kitchen. "The main priority is the living room, the kitchen, the dining room and the bathroom. She's staying at Brie and Daniel's, so we don't need to worry about the guest room." She knelt down next to the sink and pulled out the cleaning supplies.

"Ay-ay, captain!" AJ said with a quick salute. Nikki looked back at her, laughing a little. AJ smiled to herself - mission complete!

 

+

 

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Punk said, walking back inside the house to see AJ dusting the shelves. "What I miss?" AJ dropped her dust rag and ran over to the door, jumping up to give him a quick kiss. He caught her easily, one hand going to support her from beneath while the other wrapped around her back, holding her close.

"Nikki's mom is coming," she said, after they broke the kiss. Walking back over to the shelf of video games, she grabbed her rag again and went back to dusting.

Punk looked at her, then at the dining room, where he could hear Nikki vacuuming. "Her mom's coming?" He asked, pointing at the archway to the dining room and AJ nodded. "Since when?" A thought occurred to him - "She's not staying here, right?"

AJ finished the last shelf she could reach and he took the rag from her, getting the last two shelves. In response to his question, AJ shook her head. "Nikki says she's staying with Brie and Daniel." Then she leaned back and yelled towards the dining room, "Nikki! We dusted!"

The vacuum turned off and Nikki appeared in the archway, asking, "We?" Then she saw Punk and her face lit up. "Punk!" She crossed the floor and pressed a kiss to his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck while he wrapped one around her waist and held her head with the over. AJ smiled broadly, clutching her hands together and swinging them. She always loved to see Punk and Nikki together like this - it made her so happy.

Nikki broke the kiss, leaning back slightly. "So," Punk said slowly. "Your mom's coming?"

"Yes," Nikki said, stepping out of his grip and looking around the living room. "And all we have to do is vacuum the living room and then, like, not even  _ breathe _ in here until her visit." She ran a hand through her hair, accidentally pulling it out of the bun she'd put it in earlier.

"Hey, hey," Punk said carefully, spinning her back around. "What's wrong?" He cradled her face in his hands and looked at her, gently gnawing on his lip ring.

She looked up at his eyes for a second and then down and to the sides, while she tried to find the words. It broke AJ's heart to see tears gathering in Nikki's eyes. "It's just..." Nikki rubbed her eyes. "It's gonna be the first time she meets you two and I want it to be perfect. I want her to love you two just as much as she loves Daniel." The words "and I don't want her to hate you the same way she did Dana and Emma" went unspoken; she'd only brought up that failed relationship once or twice, but AJ understood why Nikki's mom had hated those two. If AJ ever ran into either of them, their faces would be getting rearranged.

"Hey, that's not gonna happen, alright?" Punk pressed a kiss to her forehead, pulling her into a hug. "We'll just be on our best behaviour and your mom's gonna love us. I mean, who could resist these faces?" He pointed back and forth between his face and AJ’s, making Nikki chuckle slightly. Seeing her relax - and even smile slightly - made both Punk and AJ smile. They could do this.

AJ stepped behind Nikki and wrapped her arms around her. "We're never gonna treat you like those two did," she swore, vowing once again to  _ destroy _ them if she ever found them.

After a few minutes - and once Nikki had stopped crying - the three broke the hug. "So," Punk said, taking both women's hands. "Where are we gonna eat if we can't mess up the kitchen?"

Nikki laughed, while AJ started listing off restaurants that she liked and dragging them towards the front door. She smiled at her two lovers - yeah, they could do this.


	7. seth/dean - baby (it's cold out)

"Where you goin', sunshine?" Dean asked, before he rubbed at his eyes and yawned. Seth was standing in the doorway to their bedroom, wearing a pair of Dean's flannel pajama pants and that stupid bathrobe Dean's dad had given him for Christmas.

Seth shot him a look. “Haven’t you noticed something?” He asked, pulling his bathrobe tighter. “The fucking heat’s out, I was looking for Enzo’s number.” Dean blinked, suddenly noticing the chill that had crept into his fingers and toes. He wiggled them contemplatively, then outstretched his hands for Seth.

“C’mere,” he said, not bothering to move an inch closer. “I r’member ‘Zo’s number, you can call him from here.” Seth sent him a disbelieving look, arching one eyebrow perfectly. “C’mon, princess.”

With a short huff, Seth walked back over and climbed into bed. “Happy?” He asked, wrapping an arm around Dean’s neck while the other held onto his phone. He really was hung up on that calling Enzo thing.

“Mhmm,” Dean pressed a kiss to his fiance’s forehead. “Be happier if you weren’t wearing that fucking robe.” The stupid faux fur was getting into Dean’s nose and making him want to sneeze.

“It’s warm.” Seth stated, curling further into Dean’s warmth. “C’mon, what’s Enzo’s number?”

“I forgot.” Dean nuzzled Seth’s cheek gently. He bit his lip to keep from laughing as Seth started sputtering. While he tried to figure out what he wanted to say, Dean nipped his neck. “C’mon. There’re other ways to warm up.” Waggling his eyebrows, he added, “More fun ways.” He slid his hands into Seth’s robe - fine, it was warm, but it was also still ugly and covered in stupid faux fur.

Seth glared at Dean, “No, Dean, we’re not fu-” His protests died mid-sentence when Dean started tickling him. Trying to escape his fingers, Seth thrashed around in the bed, twisting side to side as he giggled wildly. “Fu-fuck yoooouu, De-Dean!” He managed to get out, between giggle fits.

“Nah,” Dean laughed, pressing a kiss to Seth’s nose - it was hard to line it up right because of Seth’s flailing and he nearly got headbutted twice. “This is more fun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, a definite cop-out title, but it's 1 AM.


	8. nikki/alicia - thoughts of you and her (spinning around my head)

Alicia felt bad for Becky. No one should have their relationship drama played out in front of thousands - if not millions - like that. _'Becky deserves a better woman,'_ she decided, nodding her head definitively. Becky deserved someone who would respond to a sly grin and a "I guess you dig the crazy ones, huh?" with a slap hard enough to dislodge a tooth.

Alicia wasn't stupid - she knew Nikki'd been with other women, hell, even other Divas, before they got together. But she still didn't know what to think when she watched Nikki with AJ, back when they were together. There were subtle touches and sweet nicknames turned sardonic for the sake of the crowd and Nikki had been just as protective of AJ as she was of Alicia, just far more subtly. Wait, did Alicia say 'had been'? She meant 'was'. Someone tried to talk shit about AJ backstage and Nikki had made their life hell.

There were times when Alicia laid awake at night, curled into Nikki's side, and wondered if Nikki would do that for her, if they broke up. If Nikki would keep that shirt of hers that she always forgot the same way Nikki had kept AJ's - even though it was way too many sizes way too small because AJ's tiny. There were a pair of Converse hidden away in Nikki's closet at home - once again, too small. Too small and Alicia knew AJ had worn them once during a match.

She thought about AJ and Nikki coming home from that match, kicking off their shoes and having a celebration. It probably was never as good as the celebrations she and Nikki had, Alicia knew, but Nikki had kept the shoes. There was a note on them, too. AJ's phone number - new or old, Alicia didn't know.

Becky Lynch deserved a ex-girlfriend like that. Or even better, a girlfriend like that. Alicia placed a kiss on Nikki's cheek and giggled when Nikki returned the favor. Becky deserved someone like...Bayley. Or Sasha. Sasha could do that, could bitchslap someone into oblivion for Becky.

Maybe it was time for Alicia to do some matchmaking behind the scenes.


	9. jeff/punk - i miss you (let's meet in our dreams tonight)

As soon as he got off the stage, Jeff returned to the green room and grabbed his cellphone off the table. He autodialed Punk as he dropped to the couch. It went straight to voicemail, just like his last several calls. "Hey, Punk," Jeff said, dropping his head back to the couch arm, swallowing slightly. "It's me, Jeff. I mean, you already know that, since caller ID and all, but I just wanted to make sure. Uh, I'm just calling to talk to you, man. It's - it's not important, don't worry about it."

Jeff paused, swallowing. "I love you, Punk. I love you so much, man." His voice cracked slightly, as he ran one hand through his hair. "Please, just call me back - even if it's to say we're over, just call me one more time, Punk. Just - let me know. Bye, man." He ended the phone call, then threw his phone back to the table. It missed, instead crashing to the ground.

He laughed sardonically. Just like everything he does. He aims and he sorta does it, but it all just crashes to the ground in the end. Jeff sat up, curling into a ball, with his nose nearly touching his knees and his arms wrapped around his legs. Hoping he'd remembered to lock the door when he entered, Jeff breathed out shakily. Just two minutes.

All he needed was two minutes.

And then the show would go on again.


End file.
